Faithful Servant
by Jerzu
Summary: A person's past holds many secrets. Behind every life, behind every object, their is an untold story hidden within. So what kind of story does an item of the past hold I wonder? A tale of tragedy? Romance? War? Friendship? There's only one way to find out. (Along with the Narrator's rambling) Let this long forgotten tale of old begin!
1. Prologue

**Hello~I'm the narrator. The Author just wants to let you know that, all the stuff from the games? Forget about them! This takes place in an AU after all! Oh, and special thanks to Archeologist of Humanity. Becoming your editor was the first step the Author needed to take to get back into writing.This isn't the first story the Author's ever posted, but its the first to stay! Oh. And this thing was inspired by a scene in an anime. So, onward!**

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 **A Narrator's Rambling**

Life's full of mysteries, isn't it?

Why were humans born? What's their purpose? Were they just meant to keep the world moving instead of letting it go stagnant?

But what's so good about it? Why do humans and things like _romance_ exist? Don't they just tear people apart?

If for example, two people fell in love with the same person, what would happen? They would both promise to not go after that person. But what if one of them broke that promise? Doesn't that mean, the one who kept it will be in pain, facing the betrayal of the one they trusted?

The one who broke the promise gets the happy ending with the one they love, whilst the other one suffers in silent agony.

But what if, the one they loved didn't love them back? Would they be upfront and admit it? Or would they just silently decide to play along to not hurt the persons feelings?

Either way, the truth would come out eventually. And in the end, both of the people would be hurt.

Two friends that could have been there to comfort each other when needed the most, would no longer be there.

Then there's war. Conflict is started due to the difference in perspective between groups. Because of that, one would think the party that disagrees is the enemy, the villain. They don't see how their ideas or solutions could benafit the economy. Instead they see the flaws, like every human does. If a flaw is seen, they'll work against it. They'll believe what the other is doing is wrong. Evil. The darkness that taints the light. But, is that really true? Humans are unpredictable beings. And in the end, aren't good and evil, black and white, both sides of the same coin? And when combining the two, don't you get grey? There is no black and white in the world, there's only black and grey. Even if your doing something that you believe is right, in the end, there will always be someone who sees you as evil.

And finally, let's talk about _death_. Humans aren't beings that will live forever, they have limits. Who knows what marks the end of their life, they could die by old age, outside interference. Who knows?

But, is that it? Do they just live, only to die? What happens after they die? Are they just discarded?

Some humans believe that there's an afterlife that awaits after death. But seriously? Every year, month, week, day, hour, minute, _second,_ dozens of people are dying while even more are being born. And that's literally it? How the heck do more humans keep on being made when their all in the afterlife? The bodies the humans live in are just vessels. Physical manefistations for their souls. Humans can't live without souls. So are new ones just randomly being made? Once one reaches the end of its physical life, _that's it?_

Nothing els? Just strait to the afterlife?

Its like being told of how awesome a game is but being disapointed by the ending.

But, what if...these souls are being re-used? Who knows what happens to them? No one is capable of coming back from the one way trip to find out the answer.

When huge knowledge is gained, its pretty much guranteed that others won't find out the answer 'for their own good'. Knowledge is power after all.

What's after death is one of the biggest mystery one will only be able to get the answer to at the end of their life. Some think death is a blessing, others a curse. Which one are you, I wonder?

But, enough of that. If I kept rambling on about the flaws of humanity and the questionable reasons for their existence, you'd get bored. And I can't have you falling asleep in the middle of this. Oh, but your free to have your disagreements with what I had been rambling about. Everyones got their own opinion after all. * _A_ _hem_ * anyway.

So, here's a little detail pretty much everyone overlooks. Its why humans get judged so quickly. Within every human, within every _item,_ there lies an untold story within. Seriously, do humans not realize this? Their too quick to judge one another.

But...its because of these things that makes them so interesting...whoa, back up. I'm starting to ramble again. Now that I think about it, is the rating even safe? I should go discuss this with the Author...oh well.

Anyway, in this world, only known of as Gamindustri, things are a bit...different.

In this fantasy-like world, there exists beings known as goddesses. Console Patron Units, CPUs for short. These beings, reside in the four Nations of Gamindustri.

Lastation, the Land of Black Regality. Lowee, the Land of White Serenity. Leanbox, the Land of Green Pastures. Planeptune, the Land of Purple Progress.

The duty of the CPUs is to protect the people of each of their Nations.

Now, before these four goddesses came to exist, there lived one goddess, who held the title as the one and only True Goddess. This goddess watched over the land known as Gamindustri from the holy lands of Celestia. The land that surpasses the reach of a human, were only goddesses may go.

As a cycle of life, even a goddess must pass away eventually. Nothing is eternal after all.

But instead of creating another True Goddess, this goddess broke the cycle, and created four different goddesses. One to rule each of the four Nations. Now, if _one_ goddess made _four_ seperate beings, wouldn't that mean they'd work together perfectly? Absolutely right?

Now, if a load of work meant for one person, was split up for four people, wouldn't that make it easier? Four people working together on similar goals? That's the same with the goddesses, right? They all just want to protect their Nations, right?

' _All right, so I'm probably boring you with my off-script rambling. But stay with me a little longer. The Author took the time to give me this space, and I'm just the lowly narrator.'_

Anyway, as expected, the goddesses had other ideas. Instead, they all decided that they wanted to be the one true goddess, instead of working in harmony. Crazy ain't it? Its like recieving 1/4 of work each from a boss. But instead of working together to lessen the load, they decided to compete _against_ each other to try and raise the chance of them being the one next in line for the position.

And then, if some other being comes along to take that position like the _Deity of Sin_ for example, they'd team up just to bash the head of the new competitor.

Well, then again. That villain was more focused on destroying Gamindustri rather than ruling it. So _of course_ the CPUs would be able to work together. Cause what their doing is for their people, right?

Sheesh. I don't think I'll be able to understand them. Humans _are_ unpredictable after all. Sure, goddesses (you know what? I'll just start calling them CPUs. Its shorter) are beings at a higher level than humans. They can do things humans would have a difficulty handling, running a Nation is hard after all. Politics, monsters, keeping the people safe and happy, dealing with the people who wish to cause some chaos, and probably a ton of other stuff the Author forgot to put in my script.

And, even though they can handle these things, the people don't see that they live the lives of humans. The only thing they have is the powers of HDD, Hard Drive Divinity.

But they live the lives of humans. They think like humans, they look like humans, they act like humans. They have similar ways of doing things, like humans.

Because of that, they are as unpredictable as humans.

So instead of working together to keep peace in Gamindustri, they try to _kill_ each other for some pointless title. Aren't they already satisfied with the people of their Nations worshiping them? Isn't that already enough?

But...then again, its because their like humans that they'd have different views like humans.

Through disagreements comes conflict, through conflict comes war, and through war, comes death.

Nobody really enjoys war. People end up losing those close to them, their homes, their friends and family, the kind stanger that lended a helping hand. Oh wait! Now that last part sounds interesting.

Why? Its related to this story once you get past this...Prolog I guess. Maybe it should be titled Narrator's Rambling...oh well!

Anyway, so, I'm sure you all know how Gamindustri is made of the four Nations. What you _didnt_ know is that Gamindustri is only a part of the world. What's the world called then? Who knows! It could be Earth, it could be something els. Gamindustri is like...the land of the goddesses, you get me?

Its the land ruled by goddesses. But it isn't the entire world. I mean, come on! Could you imagine each of their Nations make up the North, South, East and West of your world? That's just ridiculous! Unless the world is as small as Pluto...

 _'Ok, off-script again. The Author wants me to quit stalling and get to the story. Sheesh. Hm...actually, isn't my rambling kinda like what that other CPU does? I think its called fourth-wall-breaking...'_

Anyway, so I'm sure a lot of you aren't really stangers to this, but what happens when you see a poor begger on the steets? You just walk right past their outstretched hands don't you? Its the same with animals right? Probably.

Now, put yourself in their shoes for a bit. Actually, do they even have shoes?

 _'Whoa Author! What's with that look!? What happened to your defult dull eyes?... Sheesh, fine.'_

So, if you were in a beggers perspective, and you see dozens of people pass you by without so much as a glance, how would you feel? Angry? Sad? Betrayal? You need help, yet no one is there to give it to you. Having to face hunger on a daily basis. Facing the heat of the sun and the bitter coldness of the night. At some point you feel like dying, at others, you want to survive.

You see about dozens of people taking what they have for granted. They have everything you could only wish for.

Now, these things would end eventually. It could be by death or...well...either way, if you live a happy or sad life, death waits at the other side.

But, what happens if you are neither human or animal? If death refuses to claim you? That's torture by the world itself right?

Now, there's one way you could get back up on your feet. But, you'd have to harm someone. You don't even have the energy to stand. So that's your only way. Its not like you have much of a problem with that. You don't know nor care for any of the people you see. They didn't care to help you, so why should you care about harming them?

And harming someone was exactly what a certain lost soul, who's never tasted life or been shown any kindness, was going to do.

But...once your shown kindness...you realize, that the world wasn't what you always thought it was...

 _Then again...the world seems to enjoy causing pain to those whome find joy..._


	2. Chapter 1

**We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.—Epictetus**

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 **A Grudge Born from Disaster**

 _Red._ That's all that a certain brunette could see.

No matter where she looked, no matter how big or small it may be, everywere she looked had red. It was as if someone had dropped a bucket of red paint all around her...how much she wished it were just that.

Why had things come to this...? Would it have been better had she not been with the nurse-in-training...?

She's got a family, friends, an actual life that she could look forward to, so why had this happened? Why had it not been her? If she had been in _her_ place, she could have lived. Its not like she could actually _die_. Something like this was impossible to kill her. But, _she_ could easily die from this...she's just a human after all...maybe...it would have been better had they never met...?

Would that actually change anything? Was this her fault or not?

She didn't even know...was this...because of the war...? Was this the CPU's fault? They were the reason the Viral monsters were invading, right? They weren't doing there duty of protecting the people. They were more focused on their personal gains.

This human in front of her, had been the first to ever show kindness and genuine concern. She didn't deserve this. She should have been able to live her life to the fullest...

Why? Why was this world so...cruel!?

All around her, the brunette could hear the monsters rampaging as people screamed and ran for their lives. The number of corpses just seemed to keep piling up as the monsters continued their frenzy. Not even the guards seemed to be able to do anything, as they too were fleeing, trying to call their goddess to come and save them.

 _'...Pathetic...'_

Cries of despair continued to echo around her as people continued to fall prey to the fangs and claws of monsters.

 _'CPUs my damn a$$...their not coming...'_

Ironically, the monsters seemed to be completely ignoring her. The only one who was kneeling on the ground in front of a corpse...

 _'...if they cared...they'd be here protecting their people...'_

The only one who wasn't running away...

 _'...instead of fighting some pointless battle...'_

The only one, who couldn't but wished ever so deeply...

 _'...they should be helping their goddamn people...!'_

...to be _claimed by death_.

The stench of iron wafted through her nose along with a _sickening_ yet sweet scent, screams echoed around her as the monsters continued their mindless slaughter.

The only thing the brunette's gaze seemed to focus on was the sight of an unmoving body laying in front of her. A pool of blood had formed around her, the sticky dark red substance slowly seeping into her clothes and staining the light coloured ground beneath her.

Her body shook violently as the sounds of the chaos around her continued.

She wasn't shaking in fear. No, it was the sight of all the blood around her that was cousing her to lose control. The restraints within her was slowly snapping apart as a certain urge she'd been holding back for so long made its presence known.

Along with a seemingly simple fact that she'd been trying to forget for so, so long.

 ** _'Weak. So weak.'_**

Emeralds eyes widend in shock as the brunette's heart rate increased, recognition flashish through her eyes as fear tightened around her throat

 ** _'You could have saved her.'_**

The voice continued to speak without any regards for the brunette's reaction. Its words echoing throughout her head.

Words began to spill into her mind. Some of them jabs at her weakness, and some whispers of encuragment to embrace her inner demons.

Time seemed to slow down around her as the brunette's mind was invaded by the haunting voice.

 ** _'Why not take her blood?'_**

The hollow voice suggested. A suggestion that the brunette knew she would be unable to reject, no matter what she truly thought.

Her breathing became uneven and her vision began to blurr, the noise around her seemed to get cut off and was replaced with a sharp ringing sound as the only thing she was able to focus on was the red colours around her.

The smell of iron mixed with some sort of _delicious_ sweet scent invaded her nose. The more the brunette tried to ignore it, the more inviting it became.

 ** _'Avenge her death.'_**

The brunette could practically hear the enjoyment coming from the disembodied voice, soaking in the amount of pain and internal struggle she was feeling.

Her mouth suddenly turned dry, and she started to feel a painful burning sensation in her upper jaw. Her vision went in and out of focus, her mind felt hazy and her pupils started to change from their emerald green to a blazing red color.

Her hands, which had been balled into fists on her lap began to unclench, shakily reaching for the sticky red substance in front of her.

Her fingers dipped into the warm gooey substance, before bringing her hand up to her face.

 _A few strands of hair at the back of her head changed from brown to beige. Small glowing red particles transforming each strand of hair one after the other at a slow, yet abnormal pace._

She stared at her hand in a trance-like state, completely oblivious to her transformation taking place.

"Dammit..."

Was this what hallucinting felt like? Was her mind going into a pitiful state of denile? Was she even conciouse anymore? Was it even her _thoughts_ anymore? Was that why she was hearing things? Its probably just a dream...yeah.

All of this is just a dream. There's no way such a tragedy could accure out of the blue. There's no way S-class Viral monsters, hords of them, could be attacking Planeptune. There's no way that the person who showed her kindness with no ulterior motive, _would suddenly wind up dead...!_

There's no way this can be real. There's no way any of this could be real. Its just a nightmare...just a nightmare...

...is this really just a dream? What if it isn't? Does that mean she let her die? Does that mean she has the blood of hundreds of people on her hands? Is this because she was weak? Because she stood by and let this happen?

A mixture of emerald green and flaming red eyes widend in realization.

Stood by and let this happen? Isn't that what she's doing right now? Just letting people die without doing anything? Why was she letting all this happen? ...She has no reason to help them, right?

This...none of this was her fault. The CPU is responsible for not protecting her Nation.

 ** _'Is that really it? Or are you just passing on the blame because your weak?'_**

Could she save them if she tried? She had the powers to, didn't she? She was no longer normal, maybe not even human.

She decided before she wouldn't use her powers ever again, but, if she used them she could...!

 ** _'Why not? There's no reason for you to hold back. Unleash all your pent-up destructive energy and bask in the chaos those foolish humans fear!'_**

But...there was always a 'but', wasn't there?

But what if she losses control?

But then...what happens to the Nation if the monsters continue to rampage?

Does that mean the CPU would notice and come down from Celestia to save them?

But what if she doesn't come? What if she doesn't notice?

What if the CPU weakens in battle due to the lack of faith?

 **What if the CPU dies up in Celestia?**

 **What if the Nation dies?**

 ** _'All because you refused to unleash your powers.'_**

"...Shut up."

 ** _'You could help them. The key to activating your Awakening is right before you.'_**

"I said, shut up...!"

 ** _'Must you continue to be so stuborn?'_**

The voice was starting to sound impatient at the continued back and forth.

 ** _'Must I remind you that your existence is becoming increasingly unstable? What happened to the young blood that burned down an entire forest?'_**

Well, she also almost burned down the orphanage she used to live in. _That's_ what happened. Which led to getting kicked out.

What if she lost control again and burns down the entire nation? Maybe...maybe she should just wait for the CPU to notice...

 ** _'Your so pathetic. Burn the nation down yourself, or stand by and allow the monsters to rampage freely. It would be your fault either way. But hey, at least you'll be able to say you tried, right? Instead of having to live with the crushing human guilt. You know, that nurse friend of yours would have died a meaningless death.'_**

"Why you...!" The brunette gritted her teeth in anger.

 ** _'What you gonna do about it, I F ?'_** The voice taunted.

A shadow crossed IF's face. She knew what she had to do.

In an instant, her hair and eyes competed their transformation. Flames erupted from the ground and incased her within, yet none dared to harm their dangerous and enraged wielder.

Nearby monsters were drawn to the commotion, only to meet their burning demise by the demon that had awoken from the burning pits of hell.

If one were to look back and ask how the nation survived the attack from Viral monsters, the only answer they'd get was that they were massacered by a demonic firey being. One thing was for sure though, this event would be seared into the minds of many for quiet some time...

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 **Welp, I took my sweet time making this. I have no plead of innocence. Still, who knew id be able to finaly write the end of this chapter _sleep deprived?_ Yeah the begginning was probably crap, but I already had to revise this thing several times so yeah. This bites...ah well, I should probably be figuring out how the next chap should start, why do I always end up planning too far ahead? It always ends up such a pain having to fill up all those blanks several pages back. Sigh~ well, leave a review and all that. Thanks and later.**

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 **—One month later—**

 ** _'So, what are you gonna do now?'_** A lone figure stood by herself, standing before dozens of graves, silently mourning their deaths.

"88 deaths, 368 injuries, and 12 missing." IF muttered, staring at the graves with guilt in her eyes.

 ** _'You can't act as if none of this happened, that's for sure. And you have no place in Planeptune, with no faith in CPUs, the people will shun you.'_**

IF sighed as she dropped yet another flower onto a victims grave before moving on to the next one.

 ** _'Your suprisingly empathetic.'_** The voice said, as IF dropped the last flower onto a grave with a familiar name. It was the grave of a certain old friend and nurse in training.

"The least I can do is visit their graves." IF murmured. There was nobody nearby, so it was safe for her to speak up a bit without having to worry about curious gazes.

 ** _'Sigh~ You humans are hard to understand. I don't see the point in crying over the dead. Shouldn't you move on or something? Suddenly gain a determination power up?'_** The voice was starting to sound a bit like a certain lilac haired goddess. Though if one were to ask at a later date, that is if they could ask, their reply would be human observation. Speaking of...

"What should I call you anyway?" IF suddenly asked. The voice in her mind had always left before she could address the topic.

 ** _'...Call me whatever you wish...'_** The voice said. Confusion crossed IF's features at that response.

"You don't have a name?" How could someone not have a name? Even if their a spirit?

 ** _'Each holder of my flame always gives me a name. Most aren't that nice though.'_**

IF snorted.

"I wasn't aware that you were nice."

' ** _I'm not. Now hurry up and name me.'_** Someone was impatient.

Closing her eyes, IF drifted deep into thought, her inner chuuni starting to resurface. Dozens of names with cool meanings surfaced, but only one would be suitable for her spirit friend. After finally finding a good match, IF opened her eyes and grinned victoriously.

"Kegan...I'll call you Kegan. It stands for 'Bright shining flame'."

 ** _'Kegan huh...? Your making me sound like some flame of hope.'_**

IF stared at her hand clad in a fingerless glove.

"It depends on the wielder. These flames can be used to carve a path of hope, I'm sure of it." She said, clenching her hand into a fist.

 ** _'A path of hope huh...? That would be an interesting change of pace.'_** The now named Kegan murmured, a yawn following after. IF raised a brow to that response.

"What's got you so tired all of a sudden?" She asked. Stuffing her hands inside her coat pockets as a cold breeze passed by.

 ** _'Since you finally reverted from your Awakening, I can no longer stick around. I'll admit you stayed like that longer than expected, but its most likely due to you absorbing the essence of both human and monster.'_** Kegan replied, yawning once again.

"So you'll be leaving soon huh?" IF murmured. Taking notice of the sound of aproaching footsteps.

 ** _'Only until you begin to transform again. Have fun surviving your current situation.'_** Kegan's voice faded.

IF bowed her head in silent prayer, wishing all the lost souls a safe travels to the afterlife, before finally turning around and walking down the hill were the dead now rested.

"Surviving huh...?" IF murmured as she passed by a familly, most likely visiting their diseased member.

Her coat swayed gently in the ofternoon breeze as her hair was blown around with no accesory to restrain it.

A smirk apeared on her lips, defying what she may have truly felt inside.

 _"I heard working for the Guild might be interesting."_


	3. Chapter 2

**Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed by the masses.—Plato**

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 **Thoughts and Memories**

 _'Humans are idiots,'_ IF decided as she sat at the outside of some factory tower. She gazed blanky at the streets below as her legs dangled freely swinging back and forth at the edge of said factory.

 _'Most of them are,'_ she corrects herself after remembering... _her._

She then directed her gaze at the sky covered in a mixture of clouds and smog. _'Goddesses are idiots,'_ she thinks without any second thoughts.

In anime and fiction, beyond the clouds would be the land of devine deities, a world beyond humans. That would be too convenient though, especially with the advancement of technology and devious minds.

Sometimes IF just had to take a moment and wonder, what's Celestia like? Of course, she'd soon kill that thought after.

Sometimes, it was pointless to think about things beyond the human mind.

Now, you might be wondering, why and how is she just sitting at the outside of some factory tower,—which is most definitely off-limits—looking at the clouds and the city below like some badass anime character.

Ever heard of parkour? Its a lot easier when you've got the power of the supernatural on your side. And they say cheaters never prosper, hah!

A gust of wind passed by, threatening to push IF as she held her ground, one hand over her head to keep her hat in place as the wind ruffled her hair.

As the wind calmed down, the chill that it left behind was anything but pleasant. It made IF feel numb and empty, a feeling that she didn't like.

IF took a moment to stand up and survey the land of Black Regality, which was as dull as its color implied apperantly.

IF was currently wearing a brown slightly torn up overcoat, under which she wore some of her more 'normal' clothes. On top of her head was a faded red paperboy hat. Her clothes under her overcoat consisting of a zipped top with silver lining, over which she wore a blue coat with a white puffy colar pulled out from under the overcoat, with black and silver lining and silver buttons.

She also wore a pair of shorts with a belt with a silver buckle with "iF" imprinted on it. Along with blue knee length boots and black thigh-high socks. On her arms were a pair of black detatched sleeves with white and grey gear teeth lining, and on her hands were a pair of simple black fingerless gloves. All of which were covered by her huge overcoat.

As unlikely as it may seem to those from Planeptune, her outer apearance was considered 'normal' in Lastation, an apearance common for those facing poverty. Something that was a widespread thing in the land of Black Regality. Which, for her, was a perfect way to blend in.

Lastation and its people were...different compared to those of Planeptune. Without the goddess to keep things in order, the more devious minds took over. Causing a widespread disorder of economics and an increase in poverty. Unlike in Planeptune which was a more lighthearted nation, were poverty only extended to villages at the outskirts of the nation. Lastation's poverty wasn't seen strewn all across the streets of course, you just had to know where to look.

It was supprising to say the least, just goes to show how different the Nations and its people are.

As IF took in the slightly crowded streets filled with people, and the dark alleyways where thugs and some of the poor lurked, she could only sigh at the thought of the amount of trouble and frustration she was gonna face in Lastation...

"Let us go my faithful sidekick! Crime will not wait for us. For I, Nippon Ichi, shall clear a path in the name of justice!" Exclaimed a scarf wearing blue haired girl as she posed behind IF in what she considered to be a 'heroic' way. Nature seemed to humor her as the wind picked up and her scarf billowed gracefully behind her.

She then planted her boot on the ledge and peered below at the streets, scanning for... something. "Aha! Crime has been spotted! Come sidekick, let us deliver justice!" The bluette exclaimed, pointing of into the distance at... is that a rat? An oversized rat? What the hell...

A shiver went through her body as IF sighed once again and resisted the urge to facepalm. How in Gamindustri did she get stuck with someone as annoying as Nisa? And why—even though she was wearing heavy clothing—was it so damn _cold?_

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Gamindustri is both a simple, yet complicated world.

Normal people are NPCs, their sole purpose as extras used to keep the world running. Their ignorant. Misinformed and easily manipulated. They don't realise that the peace in Gamindustri depends on their actions. They believe in the most biased information and act on it, causing ripples of chaos to spread upon the lands. The balance didn't depend only on that, however.

 **Games.**

The Nations also had to provide games to its people, giving them a reason to put faith in the goddesses by means of entertainment, their protection not being considered enough to be faithful.

And therein lied the problem. Games were ever changing, improving, advancing. Games are something every human-like being desired. Whether an NPC caused a ripple of chaos in the balance, would depend on their game provider whether they realized it or not.

And using this to their advantage, any evildoer could easily manipulate the crowed with misinformation or pirated games. NPCs weren't picky after all, the easier it is to snag a copy of a good game, the better. Faith was a fickle thing.

It didn't help that the CPUs may as well have abandoned their people, having not been seen in a really long time, too occupied with the intent to win the Console War. Not caring about the wavering amounts of faith and chaos happening to the lands they had sworn to protect.

Of course, there were several other things people relied on asides from games, some of which directly influence their daily lives.

Some NPCs are not like others, while most just flow with the currents of society as ignorant masses. Going about their own lives without a care for what goes on around them, no matter how chaotic it may be.

While most live ignorant mundane lives, others have lives that have meaning, no matter how insignificant it may be. The wolves that travel among herds of sheep, the NPCs that have actual faces and names rather than a faceless shadow dubbed 'NPC', the rippling tides that flow against the current. All these ways describe those who are the same, yet different. Common, yet uncommon.

Just another face among many whome hold some influence on society.

Some of the people rely on games as a part of their lives, others rely on things like mechanics, buisness, politics, the thrill of adventure, creating potions, forging weapons, nursing someone back to health. All these seemingly mundane things are the gears that keep society rotating.

One way or another, the people are united with some role in society, every little gear has a role to keep the clock ticking. Although...

"Its laughable how against each other people are," a brunette mused as she watched people go about their day, every once in awhile managing to get a glimps past the people and over to the other side of the street where a shop was. The different forms of time measuring tools on display being the main cause of her sudden trail of thought.

 _...All it takes is a little while to stop and realize, that even the most efficiently working gear can easily be replaced._

Such is the reality of this world. An unspoken rule that applies to both human, and goddess.

Come to think of it, the brunette silently muses, the goddesses have been gone for a long time aready. Wouldn't the people already be searching for a new leader to take over? A new CPU? There hasn't been any word of any CPU Candidate, that's for sure. Than again, IF muses as she directs her gaze skyward, its not exactly a good idea to reveal the existence of a new potential ruler to unpredictable masses. Last thing the nations need to worry about is a Candidate with a bounty on their head.

Wait...how are Candidates selected? Are they even selected?

IF shakes her head to try and dispel her thoughts as she brings her gaze back to ground level. Glancing at the clock in the cafe, she then directs her gaze back to her half-finished coffee, wincing internally.

...Maybe she should have requested for some creamer when the waitress asked.

Emerald eyes close as a sigh escapes the brunette.

She really should have thought it through more when she ordered black coffee. Seriously, she's never drinking brewed coffee again.

Doesn't help that the staff had given her weird looks when she had questioned why the coffee wasn't hot whatsoever.

Either the staff were idiots, or she should go ahead and consult a therapist about her sanity.

...Did it still count as a mental disease when her senses were effected?

Yet another sigh escapes the brunette.

With a grimace, IF gulped down the rest of her coffee, unable to keep her face from twisting in disgust.

That settles it, IF's never drinking this accursed concoction again.

...Now, back to business...

What was she doing again?

IF mentally cursed herself for getting sidetracked. She needed to hurry up or risk bumping into the self-proclaimed hero from earlier. She's _definitely_ not getting dragged into her drama.

The brunette sighed as she leaned into her seat, glancing over to the streets full of people from the outdoor table of the cafe she currently resided in, searching for any signs of a certain dramatic scarf wearing bluette.

... Safe.

Now, where was she...might as well finish her musing in peace, instead of amongst crowds of people. Lastation was the center of the economical system after all, makes sense it would be so busy. Doesn't make it any less annoying though. Seriously, she could probably get away with pickpocketing a few times long before people would notice, considering the fact that dozens of people were bumping into each other every three seconds.

IF scowled, the wonders living on the streets can do to you, not like living in an orphanage full of people unfortunate enough to get stuck babysitting a ton of homeless brats was any better. Food and supplies were scarce at the time, a good portion going to the soldiers that fended off monsters, leaving barely anything for the villagers. But as the saying goes, kids are the future, therefore some food and items was spared for the orphanage, if barely. She swore, the caretakers were taking advantage of them and—

The brunette blinked, sighing irritably as she rubbed the back of her head, thinking back to her decision of traveling through the other nations. Maybe she should have gone to Leanbox first? No, that was both farther _and_ overseas. The economical crisis and gloomy nationwide atmosphere was seriously bringing up some bad memories though... What a pain.

Another sigh.

"Ah..."

A sound of realization escaped the brunettes mouth, emerald eyes widening considerably.

Soon the brunette was leaning on the table, staring into space as she sank deep into her mind.

In the end...she never got to talk to Kegan again, huh? The memories of the past event in Planeptune were all blurry and were difficult to recall, as if their were some sort of mental barrier blocking her out. The only thing she managed to retrieve from deep within her mind were vague scenes of roaring flames, monsters snarling and howling, and at one point—supprising as it may sound—a young lilac haired kid. The last part had left her in confusion before she quickly discarded it as something unimportant.

Kegan had said something about returning after she uses her Awakening ability again, before abruptly leaving, but so far the spirit being had yet to make its presence known. Even if she had access to parts of its power.

And although she wasn't sure if it was because of Kegan or not, IF also had an affinity for fire magic, allowing her to use normal flames.

And although she used knives whenever fighting monsters, she soon found out she could alter Kegan's flames to—

A high pitched screech snapped IF out of her musing, forcing the brunette to instinctively cover her ears, her head sharply turning to face the road where some sort of commotion was going on.

Having already paid for her drink earlier, IF deciding to check the commotion herself, getting up from her seat, she grabbed her hat and jammed it over her head, quickly making her way towards the street.

Roughly shoving her way through the crowd and ignoring the protests and complaints of the people around her, she made her way towards the road, pushing away the bad feeling at the back of her mind.

As she made it into a small clearing, she barely had enough time to jump back as someone ran past her, not bothering to stop as she hastily glanced back before soon disappeared into the sea of people.

Soon after, someone else crashed into her, sending the two to the ground.

"IF!" A familiar voice exclaimed before the brunette felt herself get roughly pulled to her feet.

"Perfect timing! I ask for your aid in assisting me in capturing Underling," the familiar bluette continued as she dusted herself off and got ready to continue her previous chase.

IF couldn't help but raise a brow at that, crossing her arms and opting to remain silent as she watched the self-proclaimed Keeper of Justice begin to force her way through the crowd. "Hurry! She's going for the rooftops again," the heroin called over her shoulder, almost out of the brunette's sight.

 _Again?_

The brunette's eye twitched at the newly gained information. If she was right, then that would mean this 'Underling' person was gonna be hard to catch, possibly escape, and continue to do illegal stuff until an official notices.

 **The answer was simple.**

Tugging her hat over her eyes, the brunette turned around, ready to disappear into the seamingly endless sea of people— _'what the hell?'_

The brunette's eye twitched with irritation.

The sight before her eyes consisted of a car crashed into the pole of a dented street lamp, a human sized dent on its roof, and another car crashed into the side of the previous one. Smoke could be seen coming out of both their hoods.

And how had she not noticed the noise coming from all the cars lined up at the stop sign that officials were now setting up? What the hell happened to the world around her in the short amount of time?

Oh. Ohhh. She got it now.

Rubbing her head in frustration, IF barely managed to stop herself from cursing, turning towards the bluette who could barely be seen above the crowd, her height not offering any help.

Coming to the conclusion that if she _didn't_ help Nisa catch that Underling person, there could potentially be more property damage, and she'd be dragged all over Lastation looking for Underling later if she escapes. But if she _did_ help Nisa catch Underling, and possibly succeed, she wouldn't have to worry about so much property damage the self-proclaimed hero carelessly causes, and possibly regret it later.

Heaving a heavy sigh, IF pushed her way through the crowd, soon catching up with Nisa who was struggling to push through.

"C'mon, Underling might already be escaping through the rooftops," she said as she forcefully made a path as Nisa casted her a surprised look, something IF chose to ignore.

Sure enough, as soon as the two escaped the crowd, they were greeted with the sight of someone clothed in grey colors running on the roofs of nearby buildings.

As soon as Nisa caught sight of this, she took off, trying to follow the criminal from the ground. "Underling! Halt in the name of Justice!" She shouted.

 _'Did she seriously just say that?'_ IF thought as she numbly watched the heroin run off, shaking her head as she began to follow, running past an alleyway were they _could_ have gone to climb to the roofs. Seriously, was Nisa even _trying?_

A criminal with no care for others, and a self-proclaimed heroin who's vision turns tunneled when on a case. For Celestia's sake, this better be worth it...

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 **Is it just me, or did the chaps get larger for each update? Oh well.**

 **Anyhow, change of plans, I decided to put in a bit of solo Iffy. Sadly this would mean less time of IF and Vert, but I figured that if I just skipped all the way to them instantly being together, the story would be way too rushed and with too little...character building. So, yeah...I should probably start replying to reviews though. Darn my anti social ways. Maybe I should put a Nepstation for reviews...hm...ah well, I'll figure out what to do eventually. Time for the closing scene!**

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As IF ran past the alleyway to follow Nisa, she failed to notice the shadow that seeped out from under her, ducking into the alley.

Dark blue hair swayed as similarly colored eyes watched the brunette disappear.

The unknown being smirked, shadows gathering around them before they began to disappear.

 _"Its only a matter of time..."_


	4. Chapter 3

**Ritsuki Kurusawi: Glad I could entertain you.**

 **Supersilver46: Eh, something like that.**

 **Ge4r: Its serious alright.**

 **Draen: Whew, glad to know that's acceptable.**

 **And yes, in this story, IF is a lot more serious, or at least a lot like when she first met Nep and Compa in Rebirth 1. Anyhow, sorry to keep ya waitin'.**

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 **Enigmatic Feelings**

Human and Goddess, NPC and CPU. For decades they were believed to be the dominating species that ruled Gamindustri and oversaw its growth and evolution. Two species that worked together for their own survival. Over time a world where monsters were feared had been overcome by Humans led by a devine deity that guided the populations growth, beliefs, and created a land where CPUs governed. In return for their protection, the people offered their faith which fed the goddess' strength and gave them power that far surpassed a human.

Over time, with the help of their goddess, humans killed monsters, tamed animals, claimed lands, whilst the goddesses protected and took control of what became a part of the Nation they led.

Over time, as the population evolved, power hidden away began to stir in the darkness where it layed dormant for millennium, awakened by the explosive energy that pulsed through the ground caused by the force of devine deities clashing against one another. Entities began to awaken within the confines of hidden ruins, the little amount of conciousness they possesed allowing them to remain lucid, waiting for the time when they'd be free from the prisons they were sealed in. Awaiting the day they'd be free to unleash the power balled up inside.

The peace and stagnation was interfered by destruction and change, changing the role of humans in society, goddesses entering the human realm to guide the people to a brighter future, and disturbing the beings that were hidden away. The humans who once worried for their lives no longer fearful in the face of danger, exploring the world that had once forsaken them and dragging with them the tides of change that washed over the lands.

Tombs and ruins were soon discovered, dug out from what hid them from prying eyes. Soon enough, those with purpose outside regular society obtained powers from the sealed entities, making their purpose reach further upon the horizon. Making them...something else. More goddess than human, yet more human than goddess. A being that drifts in-between the role of humanity and goddesshood. A third party who's existence is unknown, no longer accepted by those of society, different, unnatural... _unhuman._ Enigmatic beings born from the change that disturbed the lands.

And as the goddesses were away from their nations, these beings were free to walk Gamindustri as they pleased. Seeing and exploring the constantly progressing world around them.

'Tis a pointless thought now...yet, with the goddesses of each time leaving to fight the battle their predecessors failed to win, is the world really changing?

Change and Stagnation.

Chaos and Order.

Yin and Yang.

A world that drifts in-between these two states. So different, yet identical...

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3...2...1...NOW!

With a leap, brown coat flared as similarly colored hair danced in the air, before the bruette landed with a grunt, ducking into a roll and landing in a crouching position. She knelt there as she panted, her hearted hammering against her chest as adrenaline coursed through her vains.

Pushing off the ground, IF saw her blue-haired companion already running towards the other side of the roof, following another individual clothed in grey who could already be seen at the next building.

Taking in the distance she was gonna need to make up for, IF sprang forward, taking in a fistful of her coat and throwing it in the air, where it soon dispersed into particles and joined her hat stored in her hammerspace.

IF involuntarily shivered as the wind brushed her bare skin, her much smaller coat offering little resistance against the abnormal chill that invaded her body.

Pushing aside her discomfort, IF gracefully jumped and leaped through whatever obstacle that blocked her path, running through catwalks and numerous pipes that interlocked buildings. She had been reluctant at first to shed her coat in case someone saw her and she ended up getting reported to the Guild, something that would undoubtably harm her hard-earned status as a guild operative. Now though? She really needed to lose the weight that held her back. She didn't want their effort to go to waste if she had anything to say about it.

Every once in awhile sparks would errupt from her limbs and her eyes would occasionally flash red whenever she made a particularly difficult jump, her boots stomping heavily against the sturdy metal platform.

IF narrowed her eyes as she saw Underling grab onto a pipe, pulling herself up to a higher end of the roof. While Nisa went to follow behind her, she got an idea, chosing to continue running along the lower part of the roof.

Her eyes flickering red as she sped up, passing by both Nisa and Underling as the next ledge came into sight, revealing it to be at a similar height to the one Underling climbed up to.

An orange glow encased the brunette's hand as she threw her arm to her right, a thin metal object slipped out of her sleeve, which was followed by a resulting 'clang', as it dug into the steel plates of the wall, the brunette suddenly leaped. Flames bursted around the area, leaving scorch marks where she promptly boosted herself and kicked against the opposing wall blocking her path, her entire body strained as she pulled againt the chain that was somehow successfuly embedded into the side of the other wall. Her stomach clenched in pain as she manipulated the course of the chain, defying gravity and altering its direction and allowing her to swing upwards to the higher platform the thief(?) and heroin were on.

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Linda's had her share of bad days, and today was no exception. She'd been mindin' her own business, pirating games, making deals, feeding the occasional cat, but then that heroin broad just _had_ to appear out of nowhere, claimin— _accusin_ _g_ her for commiting a crime like nobody's business. She was always trying to evade her especially. She wasn't like one of the cops, she was more persistent and skilled. Dumb and careless, but skilled.

The idiot had been chasin' her all around the city, through the more quiet places, districts, alleyways. She'd always manage to lose her for a bit before she'd suddenly appear outa' freakin' nowhere and they'd resume the chase.

When it had became clear the dumb broad wasn't gonna give up that easily, she had led her to one of the more populated areas to try and shake her off there. She'd been reluctant at first due to it being pretty far from the hotel she'd been staying at, but the dense population would buy her enough time to climb onto the roof areas where she'd be able to ditch the broad from there.

But fate just so happened to hate her at the moment, considering instead of her gaining the upper hand, the dumb broad was the one given the advantage. One of her friends were coincidentally at the wrong place at the right time. Seriously, what did she do to deserve going to jail? Ok, so there _may_ be a list of things that could probably get her behind bars. But hey, not her fault the systems so screwed up! It probably wouldn't even matter if she got thrown behind bars, it wouldn't help fix the screwed up system one bit.

Ok, so maybe one of those last parts weren't exactly true. It _would_ matter if she got thrown behind bars, to her at least. She'd worked too hard trying to survive her whole life. When she was a kid, every day was another struggle to survive, not ever knowing what would be her last meal. Having to learn to survive with no one to guide you was hell. She had to try and learn whatever tricks she could just to scrap by. Didn't help that she was an elf, family didn't want nothing to do with her, a freak of nature. People refused to accept her just because she was different. Pointy ears. That was all it took to be seen as something else. Pointy. Freakin'. Ears.

The quick lack of acceptance had disgusted her. Either way, there was no way she was gonna be put behind bars without a fight. She'd fought too hard to survive just to wind up rotting behind bars. She wasn't like any high strung official who winded up behind bars, she didn't have a complicated web full of people who'd be able to pull some strings to get her out. Nor did she have any connections who'd be willing to bust her out all gung-ho. She didn't believe any of the goddesses either, why should she believe in others who might as well have not existed? Sure, they helped get started the proccess of evolution the population went through, but that's pretty much it! As soon as they established firm believers to keep their batteries runnin', they just up and left. Neither head nor hide ever to be seen for decades to come.

So that was it. She didn't have people to go to, friends to watch her back or lend a helping hand, _'Well there was one, but no!'_

She couldn't be bothered by something as petty as a jail break. Better yet, the only other person who could be considered the greenette's friend would be that rodent. An' all he would do is get a good laugh at her @$$ bein' handed to her.

So now she was back at the beginning. Running from authorities for commiting some form of crime, not giving a damn that it was for her own survival. Trying to upkeap the stupid law and remaining blind to the many things wrong with their society, their law. Heck, for all she knew, someone was sitting in a cell right now just because they killed someone in self-defence. If anything, other people seemed to just piss her off. The sick human nature. When someones hurting you they act like their the victim when the real targets finally lash out. Then the people all go an' believe the lying _sonuvabi_ —

The green-haired elf shook her head with a scowl as she tried to focus back on the task of escape. She didn't have to worry about the hero broads friend for now considering she was familiar with this area, she'd have to go back in order to catch up unless she wanted to fall to her doom, cause be her guest! Not her problem if someone was feeling suicidal.

Linda narrowed her eyes as she got ready to make the jump. It was still considered high even from where she was, so she was gonna hafta grab onto the opposing ledge and pull herself up. She was also gonna need to be quick unless she wanted to face the heroin broad who was hot on her trail.

 _'Sonuva—how the hell did she get here?!'_

The greenette suddenly skided to a halt, eyes widening is a mixture of shock and surprise, behind her she could hear the heroin make a sound of surprise. She couldn't blame her, after all, the other broad was _right there_. She had just come flyin' outa nowhere, swinging from what looked like some flaming rope that seemed to toss her above the higher platform, disappearin' as soon as she landed, almost lookin' like it had freakin' _retracted_ into her sleeve.

As soon the the brunette looked up, sharp emerald eyes gazing directly at her, Linda suddenly realized her predicament.

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When Underling suddenly made a mad dash to the lower ground at her right, IF clapped her hands together before promptly slamming them to the ground, a wall of flames raised to block Underling's path in response. She grit her teeth as she held up the flaming wall, beads of sweat rolling down her cheek as heat spreaded throughout her body, the shadows dancing as everything was encased in an orange glow. Although easier compared to the chain stunt she pulled, it still placed a strain on her body as she infused her magic to keep the fire going, lessening the strain on her slightly.

She hadn't payed any attention to the startle look Nisa had given her, instead watching Underling begin to panic, not noticing the strands of hair at the edge of her vision that began to change to a beige white, her eyes flashing a crimson red as her confidence and certaintly of the capture of their target grew.

As Nisa started to close in on the criminal, saying things that IF wasn't paying attention to, Underling suddenly dashed towards the _opposite_ direction of the flaming wall and—

The brunette's eyes widend in shock,— losing focus on the fire and letting the flames disappear—as she watched Underling suddenly _jump_ over the ledge, disappearing as she decended to the street below.

IF pushed herself to her feet, stumbling as she made her way to the ledge and joined Nisa, peering down at the street with a feeling of trepidation building inside her. She was greeted by the sight of Underling swinging from a street lamp and onto the roof of a passing truck, where she then jumped off of and onto the roof of a car going the opposite direction, leaving a big dent on its roof and earning a honk in return as she promptly jumped off it and landed on the sidewalk.

As she watched her run and duck into an alley, IF couldn't help but feel relief surging through her, before she soon frowned and tried to shake the odd feeling off.

She pushed herself to her feet and was about to ask Nisa what they should do, before she suddenly felt bile rise in her throat, forcing her into a small coughing fit as her taste buds were suddenly invaded by the strong and unpleasant taste of iron and stomach acids.

The brunette collapsed to her knees, pain raking her insides as she wrapped her arms around herself in some vain hope of lessening the pain.

She coughed and spat on the ground, a small amount of acid mixed in with the blood, a chill spreading throughout her pain raked body. She barely felt the pair of hands that grabbed her shoulders and kept her upright, nor did she hear Nisa voice her concern.

"—sidekick? IF? You alright?" She could barely hear Nisa ask.

 _'Of course not,'_ she almost snapped, ' _does it look like I'm having any fun?'_ She thought bitterly. Pulling off two difficult stunts like that hindered her more than she thought, causing the aftereffects to be stronger.

She coughed up more blood on the ground, wiping her mouth with her sleeve as she waited there for a minute, taking in deep breaths and allowing herself to get used to the pain that seemed to pull at her very existence.

After what felt like hours but was actually minutes, the brunette pushed herself to her feet, or, tried. She stumbled forward and would have faceplanted had Nisa not helped steady the slightly disoriented guild agent.

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IF sighed as she stared at the ceiling of her hotel room, thinking back to how she felt and acted around the Keeper of Justice earlier. A crushing feeling of guilt weighing at her psych.

After things had settled down, the brunette had become irratable, their target escaped and she wasted time and energy on a fruitless chase. Though Nisa only acted concerned for her well-being after all that, seemingly not bothered by their wasted effort. Even going as far as to offer up a potion a friend of hers had made, made with magic restoring and healing properties.

IF snorted as she glanced at the vial containing the potion that rested on the coffee table beside the couch she rested on, she had probably looked pretty pathetic if she had offered her that. One wall of fire and she starts coughing up her insides. There weren't that many healing items, most were low quality and had limits, healing herbs being the only known item that could help mend her insides after using a portion of her flames, if barely.

After Nisa had left to go back to her 'hero business', all of the brunette's irritation had faded, her emotions going numb and an empty feeling began to claw at her insides. A hole seemed to open up in her chest, the cold feeling spread inside her and refused to go away. She hadn't noticed when the feeling faded during her time with the bluette, almost as if her companionship had begun the process of healing her.

It was... _confusing_ though.

When she had stood amongst the crowd, the feeling didn't fade like it did with the heroin. If anything, the feeling had only become stronger; the feeling of isolation in the crowd only seeming to stretch her internal scars. Right then and there, she had to resist the urge to just...disappear, to just plunge into the sea of people, and never be seen again.

The brunette hugged her knees, groaning. Thinking wasn't good for her, her mind always ended up going down a dark path. The cold feeling becoming stronger and purging whatever life she had in her hallow shell.

She glanced at the shrouded window, taking notice of the dimming light coming from outside. She did a quick swipe through her phone, checking for any important messages. As soon as she confirmed that there was nothing noteworthy, she snapped her phone shut, discarding it on the table as she threw on her overcoat, nestling into the coach. It was a lot easier for her to stay alert that way, beds felt too exposed for her. It was something she did since the old days back at the orphanage.

Survival to the fitest had been an unspoken rule there. Displease the caretakers, then there's punishment. Get on someones bad side, then you gotta worry about someone stealin' your loaf of the day. Or possibly trying to antagonize you, it depends.

The brunette's thoughts went back to the look on Underling's face, her actions spoke of the sheer desperation on her face, the expression all too familiar to the guild agent. Had it been on her face before? Or perhaps the faces of others?

Those thoughts filled the brunette's mind as she finally drifted off, her conciousness fading from the human realm.

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 **AN:** **This...wasn't what I had in mind. Yeah, I know, I took my damn time writing this and its probably not that great. This thing might as well be a filler chapter, and those usually suck. Gah! Even I'm not that satisfied with it. I mean, I know that technically its fine to make some chapters longer than others if needed, but it just didn't seem right to continue. For _some_ damn reason. Either that or its just my writer self inside that always thinks whatever I write is crap.**

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The shadows shifted as blue void-like eyes regarded the brunette's huddled form. Sparks of amusment filled those eyes as Kurome felt the turmoil that clouded the guild agent's mind.

 _'It only takes a little hope to bring them deeper into despair.'_

She soon brought her attention to the heroin from earlier. _'Divide and Conquer, such plans had been created by a former CPU of Lowee. I guess I'll just have to borrow it.'_ The shadows thickend before returning to normal, lingering mist being the only sign of dark girl's presence.


	5. AN

**Hurray! More than a month has passed for me to check in! (** _ **Confetti**_ **!) So, I realized that I made a beginner mistake, (oh who am I kidding, I've been ashamed of myself for the last few months.) and it's come to my attention that I'm getting completely off-track with my original idea. Which although can be good sometimes, in this case its bad, really bad. If I wrote the previous chaps on paper, I'd burn 'em in the bonfires my pyromaniac brother can't resist lighting. And before people start screaming, "FIRE!" I'd like to justify the boredom induced pyromania we sometimes can't resist. I mean, who can? It's a psychological thing. (Not really.)**

 **And I don't want to leave the idea hanging, really, I don't. So anyway, I've been working on amping up my writing skills, and have also had my bro take up the position as my beta, 'cause even though I got into it first, he's been reading way more than me lately. (He refuses to copy stories that I'd like to read and only brings home stuff he likes. A little too much into characters that aim to become strong, if you ask me.)**

 **So anyway, I was still unsure about writing an AU because I'm one of those psychologically screwed up types that try not to make mistakes and follow the rules to the point of making mistakes, (oh yay! A hint about my personality!) That I totally screwed up without references. It took me a moment to realize that writing an AU is pretty much putting the characters in a world that's different from their own, and you're pretty much allowed to make it as different as possible, whereas I tried to make it as** _ **similar**_ **as possible. Big mistake there. Ahh, I'm such a moron.**

 **So anyway, I'm rewriting it. (Yay! Thy beast hath been slain!) And I'm might delete this one, but at the same time I'm in turmoil if I** _ **should**_ **delete it. To kill or not to kill? A very hard decision indeed.**

 **So just a heads up in case your all gonna be bored to death at the thought of a rewrite.**

 **First off, there are only going to be** _ **two**_ **existing nations. I won't say which.**

 **Second, I'm gonna timeframe it and make it more medieval and less tech-y.**

 **Third, there's gonna be war.**

 **Fourth, there's death.**

 **Narrator: by this point the author is grinning.**

 **Author: shut up.**

 **Narrator: you read too much Wild West.**

 **Author: the west is full of survivors! Wait, shut up! Survival references.** _ **Survival**_ _ **references**_ **!**

 _ **#9$% &!?*7! #$3%8^&*?!—**_

 **Synthesized voice: please wait for the author to reestablish connection.** _ **Beeeeep.**_

 **But the end goal is the same, to get IF and Vert together. Just, you know, shorter without making IF visit other nations before meeting Vert. 'Cause then I was asking myself, 'Wait, why** _ **does**_ **she need to visit the other nations?' followed by, "Am I an idiot?" than, 'Yep, I'm an idiot."**

 **I can't even bring myself to reread the damn drafts, but memory is enough to make me want to commit seppuku.**

 **Soooo, delete and post the rewrite, or just insert the damn rewrite into the original? It's gonna be different from the originally boringly written one. Hell, one of the reasons I decided to make a rewrite is because while I was writing the newest chapter which was gonna get things moving, I noticed how prolonged I was making it, making it lose whatever tension it may have had. Then I realized, 'Isn't that how I've been writing everything else?' followed by a string of curses and several facepalmes.**

 **Soooo yeah, please stand by and wait for further activity from this socially incompetent writer.**


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